


Kiss and tell

by Anuna



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Gift Fic, Little bit of angst, Lots of kissing, Multi, Polyamory Relationship, detective ot3 verse, ot3 hooking up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2017-11-20
Packaged: 2019-02-04 20:24:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12778821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anuna/pseuds/Anuna
Summary: Grant Ward finds himself in seemingly impossible situation - he can't choose between his own happiness and his best friend's happiness, but it turns out he doesn't have to.





	Kiss and tell

**Author's Note:**

  * For [airaze](https://archiveofourown.org/users/airaze/gifts).



> This ficlet is set directly before and directly after the ot3's hookup date. 
> 
> Written for my friend airaze-blog on tumblr, for his birthday :) HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOU WONDERFUL PERSON! I hope this makes you smile a bit. I've planned a proper ifc for you, with tons of angst (read: me, walking all over your feels and you asking for more), but I simply didn't have the time or brain power to write it. However, as soon as I'm able, I'm going to write you that one as well. Until then, I hope this silly little thing brings smile to your face. Have a wonderful brithday!

There's something to be said about Grant and the force of his habits – he is terribly predictable. Lincoln sighs and glances at his watch. Grant is known for being early, but he's literally never late, which means he either got held up or – he doesn't intend coming.

 

If Grant was held up, he'd send a message.

 

So. The math feels pretty simple to Lincoln.

 

There's also the case. He gets off the bench he's been sitting on for the last twenty minutes playing tetris and shuts off the screen on his phone. He'd tell Grant he probably managed to beat Joey's record, but he knows that isn't going to matter. He has a pretty good idea how Grant is feeling, and no matter how many times Lincoln tries to explain his stance on the case and what he thinks is actually the best thing to do, Grant always sees it as some kind of personal betrayal.

 

Lincoln just doesn't get it. It's not like Roy Smiths is someone new at the precinct. There isn't any kind of asshole rivalry between him and Grant, no, they get along just damn fine, heck Roy even listens to Springsteen just like Grant does (which is something Lincoln will never get into, but. Digressing.)

 

Just when Lincoln pulls of his workout top and opens up his locker, the door to the locker room opens. He knows who it is thanks to some weird sixth sense.

 

“What happened?” Lincoln asks, observing Grant who doesn't even acknowledge him, and God, Lincoln feels so frustrated, it shouldn't be possible. “Were you kidnapped?”

 

“I was dealing with paperwork,” Grant says. Lincoln can only see his back, but he knows his exact expression – pressed lips and tightly locked jaw.

 

“What – _paperwork_? What kind of paperwork?”

 

“Personal,” he says and doesn't offer any further explanation. Instead he changes quickly into his own workout clothes. “You still wanna spar, or did you change your mind on that as well?” Grant asks pointedly. Lincoln sighs, deciding not to take the bait.

 

“Nope,” Lincoln answers and follows Grant back into the gym.

 

He doesn't get it. He honestly doesn't. It's not the first time they disagreed over some professional matter. No, in fact, their entire partnership is built on different approaches to the same situation, and this is just so freaking weird. There's a weird vibe coming off of Grant, something burning hot and threatening in his stance. He forgoes the warmup which is also weird. He doesn't even let Lincoln prepare – and what follows is something Lincoln is simply not prepared for. He doesn't expect Grant to be so harsh, because this is sparring, not a real fight. That and he will never actually be a true match for Grant.

 

“What's wrong with you?” Lincoln asks after he's thrown at the mat for the third time, and for the record, it _hurts_.

 

“Nothing's wrong with me. You're the one who wants stuff done efficiently, right?”

 

“What the fuck, Ward?” Lincoln says, barely evading his next attack. Grant is breathing heavily, and he looks so angry – and so hurt. “That was – had nothing to do with you,” Lincoln says for the umpteenth time.

 

“Yeah, right. Tell me, find me one thing that was wrong with my plan. Just one,” he says. Lincoln sighs. He's so done explaining this, over and over.

 

“There was nothing wrong,” he says. For a second Grant pauses and underneath the anger Lincoln can see the hurt. “The other plan was simply better,” he says, and the moment the words leave his mouth he knows that it was a mistake to say it.

 

At that point Grant turns and leaves.

 

“Ward!” Lincoln yells after him. He's not going to stop. If Lincoln wants to settle this – and he does, dammit – he has to move fast. Grant is quick, his steps fueled by anger. He's getting some kind of paper folder out of his locker when Lincoln reaches him. “What the hell is wrong with you lately?”

 

“I know when I'm not needed,” he says, shoving the folder into Lincoln's hands. “There. So you wouldn't say I didn't tell you.”

 

“Tell me what?”

 

“I am filing a request for a transfer,” he says. Lincoln feels like someone punched him in his gut and left a hole in there.

 

“A – what? Why??” he asks, and Grant looks to the side. Hurt is coming off of him in waves, and now Lincoln is feeling his own hurt as well, along with helplessness and fear and rejection he never quite felt like before. “Grant, what happened? Come on, I deserve an explanation,” he says. Grant's face is steely. Lincoln is aware he's pleading, and he's aware he never felt like this before.

 

Grant's phone rings right then.

 

He picks it up from his jeans – there's Skye's photo on caller id.

 

Grant ignores it.

 

“Why … why aren't you picking up?” Lincoln asks. He's not sure what to think. He's not sure he can think at all, he just knows all of this is wrong, and he doesn't know what he did and how he can fix it.

 

“I told you,” Grant begins and suddenly he looks tired. He looks sad and tired and awful. “I won't stick around somewhere I'm not needed. I'll... just be in your way -”

 

“What?!”

 

“She likes you,” Grant says, not looking at him.

 

 _Oh dear God_.

 

“ _She likes you too_ ,” Lincoln counters. Grant shakes his head. “Grant, come on -”

 

“I won't compete with you and I won't make her choose.... and …,” he looks at Lincoln briefly and then looks away, “I won't stay and be happy while you're not.”

 

“Grant, what are you saying?” Lincoln asks. It seems like all the strength Grant had just a moment ago has evaporated. He's shaking his head and looking anywhere but at Lincoln and he thinks he understands what this is about.

 

“You have more in common. With her. She tells you about all of her... TV shows. You're the fun guy. I am just -”

 

“Just what? Look at me, Grant. Just what?”

 

But Grant won't look up. Lincoln feels panic,m and he knows this is it – he knows he's probably _losing_ Grant, and he can't – he can't stand the thought of not having Grant in his life. “Ward, goddamit,” he says through his teeth and pushes him backwards, into the lockers. “Look at me.”

 

Grant does. His breathing is hard, rapid, audible. His expression is something Lincoln can't even describe.

 

“I can't stand the thought of losing – losing _both of you_ ,” he says. For a moment they're just staring at each other as things connect in Lincoln's head.

 

“You're not – you won't lose me. You'll never lose me,” Lincoln says, and when Grant starts shaking his head Lincoln realizes he will never convince Grant with words. That his fear of not being enough will defeat them both, and he can't let that happen. “I want you,” Lincoln says. Grant blinks, confused and Lincoln realizes what he's just said and how it sounds. He looks at Grant's lips and then back into his eyes. “I want both of you,” he says and as understanding finally fills Grant's expression, Lincoln leans in close. His kiss is met with absolute, determined willingness and lips pressing against his as Grant desperately pulls him close. He pulls back, just to breathe in, and Grant lets out a breath of relief.

 

“Oh God,” Grant says into another kiss, and it's the single most desperate, most intense kiss Lincoln has ever shared with anyone. Inside of him a whole universe of emotions explodes as they're kissing in the empty locker room. Anyone could walk in at any minute but Lincoln simply does not give a shit. They keep kissing until they run out of breath; then Lincoln burrows his face against Grant's shoulder and revels in the feeling of having him so close.

 

“You asshole,” Lincoln says, holding him tighter. Grant returns the gesture, his arms so tight around Lincoln.

 

“Likewise,” he says. “What now?”

 

“Now we get the girl,” Lincoln tells him and starts laughing because it sounds so ridiculous. He can literally hear John's voice saying _Can't you two do anything on your own?_

 

_*_

 

“Let me drive,” Grant insists as they walk towards the car. Lincoln looks at him as he pulls Skye close and grins.

 

“Nope,” he says.

 

“No?”

 

“Nuh – hun, no chance. You always drive,” Lincoln says, as Skye wraps her fingers around his. (God. How that makes him feel.)

 

Grant stops in front of them. For a moment he looks completely serious, as if he's assessing the situation. For a moment Lincoln expects him to bring up facts, as he usually does. However, he doesn't. He grins, and it kind of looks like he halfway tried to hide it, and offers his hand to Skye. She takes it, which brings her out of Lincoln's hold. She bumps into Grant's chest and giggles. It's a smooth move, Lincoln has to give him that. For a moment he looks at her as if all of this cannot be real – the date, the way her arms go about his neck, the way she stands on her toes to kiss him – and then she does kiss him and Lincoln's mind disconnects a little. It's … all he can think, it's _the hottest thing he's ever seen_. Not that he watched Ward actually kiss anyone like this before – this needy, raw, dirty way that probably makes Skye's knees go weak, so providing some extra support won't hurt, right? He steps behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. They break the kiss and Skye looks over her shoulder, leaning into Lincoln after they make eye contact.

 

“This is _unbelievable_ ,” she says.

 

“What's unbelievable?” Grant asks, taking another kiss before he leans towards Lincoln.

 

 _Yeah, Skye, I absolutely agree_ , he thinks. Grant kisses without finesse. He kisses like a hurricane assaulting a tree. It's like he can't contain himself at all, so he just pours everything in. The result is Lincoln's knees going weak, and he has to put a hand on Grant's chest to literally stop him.

 

“Okay, you win,” Lincoln says. “But I ride with her at the back.”

 

Grant just pretends to frown.

 

They giggle on the way to the car. Skye somehow ends up in the middle, hugging each of them around the waist. It makes walking rather tricky but Lincoln has no intention of complaining.

 

“Keys,” Grant says as he walks around to the driver's side. Lincoln finds the keys in his pocket and carelessly tosses them to Grant.

 

“Oooh, perfect catch,” Skye says after Grant grabs the keys mid air.

 

“Always,” Lincoln tells her. For a moment Grant pauses and Lincoln can _see_ how those words affect him.

 

The thing is, Lincoln isn't used to sit at the back in his own car, but he's absolutely fine with this arrangement. Grant occasionally tells him not to be greedy when he and Skye end up tickling each other. The ride lasts about fifteen minutes and then Grant finds a neat spot to park in front of Skye's apartment building. They get out, and Lincoln realizes that this is it – this is where the date of his dreams ends.

 

“I'm sorry,” she says, looking at both of them from under her eyelashes, and that has to be the sexiest thing ever. (And it's not like everything about her isn't sexy.)

 

“Why?” Lincoln asks, as she licks her lips and looks at him and then at Grant, as if she's calculating something.

 

“I feel it was such a super short date,” she says. “I mean it was... uh. I didn't expect I'd be kissing both of you at the end of the night. I wouldn't have opted for a double shift -”

 

“It's fine,” Grant says.

“Even though there isn't such thing as kissing you too many times,” Lincoln adds before he can think better of it. Skye bites her lip and smiles.

 

“You two are just....,” she's looking at them, failing to finish her thought. However affection in her eyes is clear. “Anyway I have to...,” she points with her thumb behind her back. “Unless you two would like some coffee?” she says, and Lincoln can see she's actually nervous about asking this. As if they'd change their minds. “And I mean coffee, not sex,” she quickly adds.

 

He and Grant share a look. “You think we can handle coffee, dude?” Grant asks.

 

“We could try,” Lincoln says. Skye's smile grows.

 

*

 

Coffee turns into watching a movie and eating popcorn – well that's at least what they agree they should be doing. What they're actually doing is kissing.

 

Lots and lots of kissing.

 

Once out of her high heels and with her feet comfortably in Grant's lap,Skye feels much more relaxed. And not only that, she's being kissed and being given a foot rub, and she's almost rethinking her no sex on the first date policy.

 

They're so _hot_. Okay, they're a lot more than that, but right now hot is all she can think about.

 

There's so many hands all over her. She loses herself so thoroughly, she has no idea who's touching her where, and it's a bit surreal – Skye made out with quite a few guys in the past, and some of those makeouts were really good. But nothing, literally _nothing_ she has experienced previously, can possibly hold a candle to this.

 

They're men of her dreams, and to her hormone soaked brain they're absolutely perfect; competing who's going to kiss her more. And it's absolutely fabulous. Until she needs to breathe. And change position. She straddles Grant's lap and Lincoln scoots closer. This way she can kiss one and then the other and watch them kiss each other. She can trace that thin, almost invisible scar on Grant's cheek while staring back into Lincoln's eyes.

 

“What?” he asks.

 

“Are we, like... dating now?” she asks, completely certain she sounds ridiculous. (It doesn't matter. They're both looking at her like she's everything and it's getting into her head.)

 

“I think we've been dating for awhile now,” Grant says, glancing at Lincoln.

 

“We definitely have,” he answers, moving closer so he could press his nose against Skye's. He does the same with Grant, and it looks incredibly affectionate.

 

“Wow,” she says, pausing to observe two of them. “Have you guys dated before? Did I just - ?”

 

“No, actually,” Lincoln says.

 

“You... might have inspired it,” Grant tells her. However, the way he and Lincoln are looking at each other doesn't seem like something completely new.

 

“Whatever you say, mister,” she tells him, touching his nose with hers. “I'm just glad it happened because this is awesome.”

 

“Oh?” Grant says. Lincoln is chuckling and doing something naughty with his mouth against her neck.

 

“Oooh yes,” she says, holding tight onto Grant's shoulders; before he kisses her. His lips are full and beautiful and his kisses are breathtaking. Lincoln's kisses are lighter, fun with a teasing undertone. Alternating between the two is driving her crazy, but watching two of them kiss one another is definitely making her brain melt. “Keep it happening, boys. I'm having _so much fun_.”

 


End file.
